Derailment Injures 3, Prompts Cta Probe

May 13, 2000

CHICAGO — The Chicago Transit Authority on Friday continued to investigate a derailment Thursday on the Congress branch of the Blue Line that caused minor injuries to three passengers and inconvenienced other late-night commuters.

The last two cars of a four-car train heading to Forest Park derailed and slid toward the inbound track at the Western Avenue crossover about 10:25 p.m., said CTA spokeswoman Maria Toscano. Crews worked overnight to get the cars back on the tracks and make repairs, and service was restored at 4:40 a.m. Friday, she said.

Passengers on the train that derailed were escorted to a nearby station and transferred to shuttle buses, Toscano said. She said police reported three passengers were injured. All three were treated at hospitals and released, Toscano said.

Some passengers reported delays of up to two hours waiting for Blue Line service. But CTA officials said preliminary reports from supervisors in the field were that no long waits occurred.